Just the Finishing of the bow (staining, snake skins and more)

[Almostpighunter]

I thought I'd post this as there have been a couple/few people ask me specifically about the application of snake skins. Normally I'd refer them to "Gordon's Hazelnut Build-a-long" as I generally use his technique with a couple of very minor differences. So this is as much a homage to Gordon's post as it is a quick way to immediately look up the specific finishing information.

Picture 1 & 2: I prefer to wipe the bow down with lacquer thinner to remove any dirt or oils that may be present. It also dries in an instant...love that, but remember to wear rubber gloves as the stuff is way toxic (as you can see from the pic this is a "do as I say, not as I do" kind of thing).

Picture 3: Rattlesnake skins have a beautiful pattern to them that becomes more pronounced if they are glued over a dark surface as compared to a light colored surface. To accommodate for this I decided to stain the bow limbs with Fiebings Leather Dye: Light brown. The dye goes on smooth, generally without streaks and dries in minutes.

Picture 4 & 5: I then applied a small amount of Titebond Liquid Hide Glue to the back of the bow and spread a thin layer wherever the skins were to be glued. This process is called "sizing." The reason for sizing the bow is because a certain amount of glue will be absorbed by the raw wood on the initial application. If you were to glue the skins down without sizing the bow first, then the glue might be absorbed by the wood and not adhere to the skins.

[Almostpighunter]

Sorry guys...the pics I took for this thing are not going to be properly lined up. Apparently this happens when I take them with my iPhone and I just can't seem to fix the issue. I am going to finish the build-a-long and see if I can edit the pics later. I apologize for the inconvenience.

Now comes the time to get the skins on the bow.

Picture 1: when the sizing coat of glue has dried to a tacky consistency then the bow is ready for the skins. As I am not covering the entire limb I measure how long the skins will need to be for proper coverage. Also in the pic is a good look at the limb with the stain and "sizing" layer of glue.

Picture 2: I cut the skins to size, roll them up and place them in warm (not hot!) water to re-hydrate.

A quick word about the skins. My preference is to use air dried, untanned skins as opposed to already tanned variety. I have used tanned skins in the past and will do so again when needed, but the dried variety seem to work a bit better for holding the glue.

Picture 3: While the skins are soaking I again apply the Hide Glue to the back and sides of the bow. More is better than not enough in this case so don't skimp.

Picture 4: After the glue is applied I remove a skin from the water and pat it dry. I then drape the skin over one end of the limb (I prefer to work from the riser and go toward the tip) making sure the scales are in the direction of riser to tip. In other words, the head of the snake would be on the riser end and the tail by the tip.

Picture 5: The skin will be very pliable and you can stretch the skin to make sure the pattern is straight and there are no wrinkles. There will be air bubbles under the skin that can get trapped and cause problems. I like to roll my finger along the skin and push the air bubbles down the limb until they run out. You can also use a small needle to poke the bubble and let the air out, but this can cause the glue to "squirt" out as well and may leave an ugly mark.

[Almostpighunter]

Picture 1: Once the glue has dried (24 hours to be safe) I use coarse sand paper and a block to "cut" the excess and trim the sides of the skin to a straight edge. I find this works much better than using a razor as one slip with the razor can ruin all of the work you've done up to this point.

Picture 2: Notice how straight the edge is and how the excess skin comes off in one piece. The brown under the area sanded is glue, not stain, and can easily (but carefully) be removed with sand paper or a scraper tool.

Picture 3: The view of the back of the bow with one edge trimmed. Repeat this step with the three other remaining edges.

Picture 4: Removing the scales. I use a piece of coarse steel wool an gently wipe the skins in the direction of the scales only (from riser to tip). The scales will come off easily, do not press hard or you risk tearing the skin. While doing this the pattern of the skin may emerge and become more evident or the skin may go dull, but either way the skin will look awesome in the end as long as it isn't torn. Be patient.

[Almostpighunter]

Now that the skin has been trimmed and the edges of the bow sanded or scraped of all the excess glue and are once again pristine, it is time to finish the staining of the bow.

Picture 1: Now I'm going to stain the bow ala Gordon's Hazelnut bow. I use Fiebing's Leather dye light brown on the belly of the limbs and USMC Black on the riser and tips. I recommend gloves for this application process.

Picture 2: Riser with the USMC Black

Picture 3: Tips with USMC Black

Picture 4: Belly with Light Brown and USMC Black

Picture 5: Finished Riser

Do the black color first as the light blown won't alter the black if you overlap with it; however, the black will bleed into an area you otherwise want to be brown if you do the brown color and then the black. Hope that makes sense...

[Almostpighunter]

As you could see from the previous pics, the area where the dye touches the skins can look poor. I remedy this by wrapping the transition are with leather cord and lace.

Picture 1: I use super glue (or in this case fletching glue) to give the leather a little hold to make the wrapping easier.

Picture 2: I found some cheap small diameter leather cord in the right color at Tandy leather, but I believe Michael's art supply may also carry it. I tack down the starting point and lay some cord over the area where the wrap will be to keep it secure.

Picture 3: Start the wrap on the skin side and move toward the tip. I push the loops together as I go to keep them tight against one another.

Picture 4: When I am about 3-5 loops away from the width I want I take a small thread and make a loop. I place the loop on the wrap so that I can pull the excess leather through when I have my desired width.

Picture 5 & 6: When the desired width of the wrap is reached put the end of the leather through the loop and pull until the leather is flush with the wrap. Next pull the loop through bringing the end of the leather along with it.

[Almostpighunter]

Picture 1: Put one small dab of glue on the area where the excess leather has been pulled through.

Picture 2: When the glue is dry use a sharp knife or razor and cut the excess cord away.

Picture 3: Carefully spread and saturate the entire wrap with the crazy glue (fletching glue).

Sometimes there are little "nibs" of snake skin left over. To get rid of these I take a fine grit sanding sponge and run it gently over the nibs making sure not to come into contact with my beautiful stain job. If you do mar the stain, then do not panic. The leather dye blends very well.

Picture 4: Nibs

Picture 5: Sanding the nibs.

[Almostpighunter]

Picture 1: My sealer. Okay, it may not be the very best stuff on the market (or primitive for that matter ); however, I have never had a problem with peeling. fisheyes or any other paint flaws that can come from poor quality clear coat. One word of warning though...the stuff does yellow with age. It isn't going to matter on this dark colored bow, but if you were to try to do a lighter color it may alter the final result over time. Also I like the satin finish as it is resistant to finger smudges, especially with the black color, and gives the bow a wonderful look.

Picture 2: Sealer and bow. Spray one "wet" coat in one direction until it "flashes." This means the recently sprayed limb goes from wet and glossy to a dry matte appearance. Once the flash happens it is safe to put another coat of the clear. I do this in stages as I do both limbs but skip the riser and let them dry. Then I do the riser and let it dry....and repeat!

In between coats you can "burnish" the bow with very fine sand paper or sponge. Just very lightly sand the surface where there is dye, do not do the skins (they wont need it). This will remove any impurities in the surface layer of the clear coat and give you a much nicer final product. This is an optional step, but I recommend it. Make sure the clear coat is COMPLETELY dry before burnishing.

Pictures 3-6: Some shots of the final bow after sealing with the clear coat.

Hope you all enjoyed this Build-a-long and please do not hesitate to drop me a line to ask for clarification or other questions. Good luck and have fun!

-Michael